Schweitzer Regional Conference on Medical Ethics


Presented by the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities

In Collaboration with the Soros Foundation- Latvia

Riga, Latvia: May 5-8, 1999

May 5

9AM Welcome

Vilnis Sosars, MD, Head, Soros Foundation Latvia Medical Board; 
Oncology Center of Latvia, Department of Palliative Care, Member, Medical Board, Member; Medical Ethics Commission, Latvia

9:15 The Legacy of Albert Schweitzer

Julius Landwirth, MD, JD, Director, Health Care Development Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities, USA

9:30 Major Issues in Health Care Ethics: An Overview

Latvia: Vija Sile, PhD, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Humanities, Medical Academy of Latvia 

Lithuania: Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Medical Faculty, Vilnius University Institute of Philosophy and Sociology; Chair, Lithuanian National Committee on Biomedical Ethics

Estonia: Tiina Juhansoo, MD, PhD, Main Specialist in Internships and Residency, Medical Department, Tartu University; Member, Bioethics Research Committee, Tartu University; Member, Bioethics Council of Estonia

USA: John Balint, MD, Professor of Medicine; Director, Center for Medical Ethics, Albany Medical Center 

11:30 Discussion
12:00 Lunch
1:00 A Hungarian Quasi-bioethicist and Secular Humanist in Omaha, Nebraska 

Bela Blasszauer, JD, PhD, President, Central European Association of Bioethics, Hungary

1:30 Health Care Resource Allocation: Ethical Considerations

Martin A. Strosberg, PhD, Professor and Director, Graduate Health Care Management Program, Union College, USA

2:15 Ethical Issues in the Allocation of Scarce Resources in Lithuania 

Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD

2:45  Discussion
3:00  Break
3:15-4:30 Workshops: Ethical Issues in Resource Allocation

Facilitators: Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD, Martin Strosberg, PhD,  and John Balint, MD

4:30 Workshop Reports

May 6

 
9AM The Doctor-Patient Relationship in Changing Times

Jane Greenlaw, JD, Director, Division of Medical Humanities; Co-Director, Program in Clinical Ethics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, USA

9:45 Doctor-Patient Relationship in the Caucasus Nations

Givi Javashvili, MD, PhD, Chair, Georgian Health Law and Bioethics Society; 

Advisor, Health Legislation Department, National Health Management Center;

Medical Director, Curatio Medical Group, Republic of Georgia

10:30 Doctor-Patient Relationship in Lithuania

Vytautas Cepulis, MD, Lithuanian Medical Ethic Committee

11:00 Discussion
11:15 Break
11:30 Framing Ethical Issues in End of Life Care

John Balint, MD

12:15 Discussion
12:30 Lunch 
1:30 Ethical issues for Terminally Ill Patients in Latvia

Vilnis Sosars, MD

2:15 End of Life Issues in Lithuania

Irayda Jakusevate, PhD, Professor, Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Kaunas Medical University, Lithuania

2:45 Discussion
3:00 Break
3:15-4:30 Workshops: Decisions at the End of Life

Vilnis Sosars, MD and Jane Greenlaw, JD

4:30 Workshop Reports

May 7

 
9AM Ethics in Research on Human Subjects: Official Codes of Ethics and Realities in the Caucasus

Givi Javashvili, MD, PhD

9:45 US Ethical Guidelines in Research on Children

Julius Landwirth, MD, JD

10:15 Discussion
10:30 Break
10:45 Ethics Committees: History, Function, Controversies in the United States

John Balint, MD

11:30 Panel Discussion: Ethics Committees in the CEE/NIS Region

Estonia: Lembit Allikmets, MD, PhD, Professor and Head, Institute of Pharmacology, Tartu University; Chief, Bioethics Research Committee, Tartu University

Latvia: Laima Rudze, MD, Deputy Director, Health Affairs Department, Ministry of Welfare; Director, Central Medical Ethics Committee

Lithuania: Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD

12:15 Discussion
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Panel Discussion Continued: Ethics Committees in the CEE/NIS Region

Hungary: Bela Blasszauer, JD, PhD

Georgia: Givi Javashvili, MD, PhD

2:00  Discussion
2:15 Break
2:30 Procedures for Case Reviews by Hospital Ethics Committees

Julius Landwirth, MD, JD

3:00-4:15 Workshop: Case Studies for Hospital Ethics Committees

Facilitator: John Balint, MD

4:15 Workshop Reports

May 8

 
9AM Assisted Reproductive Technologies 

Jane Greenlaw, JD

9:45 Ethical Issues in the Care of Children with Disabilities

Tiina Talvik, MD, PhD, Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics,

Tartu University, Estonia

10:15 Discussion
10:30 Break
10:45 The Role of NGOs in the Changing Ethical Climate in Estonia: The Experience of the Estonian Multiple Sclerosis Society

Katrin Gross-Paju, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Tartu University, Estonia

11:15 Medical Ethics and Physician Training  John Balint, MD
12:00 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
1:15 Panel Discussion: Informed Consent in Countries in Transition

Lithuania: Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD

Estonia: Tiina Juhansoo, MD, PhD

Latvia: Solita Udrase, MD, Director, Mental Health Center of Latvia

Georgia: Givi Javashvili, MD, PhD

Hungary: Bela Blasszauer, JD, PhD
 

2:30 Discussion
3:00 Panel Discussion: The Ethics of “Tipping”

Estonia: Valdar Parve, PhD, Department of Philosophy, Tartu University;

Member of the Committee of Human Research


Lithuania: Eugenijus Gefenas, MD, PhD

Latvia: Janis Velde, MD, Member, Central Medical Ethics Committee

3:45 Discusson
4:15 Closing Ceremony